A Prince's Ponderings
by A-Giant-Fan
Summary: Having decided to rest in the lush palace of Prince Deity, an ancestor of the Royal Families on Jupiter Island, the Straw Hat Pirates each find a room to their suiting. Meanwhile, the ever curious Prince finds that there's more to these pirates than an interest in his treasure, and comes to learn that each member holds a dream far greater than mere gold.
1. Luffy's flight and the Royal Meeting

"Where is it, where is it, where is it?" Luffy raced around the vacant town. The lights were out as everyone had gone to bed. After the Straw Hat pirates had docked into the new island, they had taken rest at a nearby hotel.

"_Remember, Luffy," Nami told him as the others readied for bed, "no wandering around. Robin told me that on this island, there are ancestors of one of the Royal Families, who are apparently as mysterious as the History Gap itself. We can't go getting caught until we know what we're dealing with."_

"I know what she told me," Luffy mumbled to himself, "but that hotel wasn't serving enough meat! Good thing I left my window open, or I would have never smelled the meaty scent coming from outside. Now if I can just locate it..."

He sniffed the air again. "...I know!" He pointed further ahead to the large castle that loomed over the town. "It's coming from that palace!" Examining the front of the building, he found an open window on the top floor. "Great, an entrance!"

He targeted the window and stretched back his arm. "Gommu Gommu no-" Throwing his arm out he grabbed the far off window with his hand,

"slingshot!"

"Luffy!"

"Huh?" Luffy looked down to see Chopper hugging his leg, wearing a tiny blue sleeping cap and blue shorts. He was sniffling and sobbing. "D-don't go w-wandering around like t-that! I-I thought that y-you had been t-taken! Y-you weren't i-in your b-b-b-bed!"

"Ah, don't worry, Chopper," Luffy smiled, "you were just having a nightmare. Now hang on!"

"Hm?" Chopper looked down at Luffy's feet to see them lift off the ground. "Gah! Where are we going?!"

"To get some meat!"

"Ahhh!" Chopper screamed as they flew off into the sky, straight at the window. "We're going to crash into the wall!"

"No way! We can make it! I'm not Zoro!"

Closing in on the window, Luffy chuckled. "Almost there!...hm?"

From inside the castle, a young man with dirty brown hair and a blue t-shirt over black pants walked into view. He seemed to be reading some sort of book. "I wonder who he is...oh!" He panicked. "Look out! We're gonna crash into you!"

"I told you, Luffy, I told you!"

The boy looked up at them, and his eyes widened in surprise.

_Too late! Here we come!_

"Yahoo!"

In an instant, Luffy crashed into the man, and all three of them tumbled through the room and into the wall, the book flying out of reach and chopper's sleeping cap on top of it. Luffy hit the wall on his back, while the boy landed in front of him, Chopper on his chest.

"Yeah!" Luffy jumped to his feet and laughed, holding his hat on his head. "That was brilliant!"

Chopper sat up. "That wasn't brilliant! You nearly killed us all!"

"Aw, you're overreacting."

"Uhg..."

Chopper made an 'eep' sound. "Oops, sorry!" He hopped off of the young man, who sat up and rubbed his deep blue eyes of a baby blue shade. "What...happened?" He glanced around and caught sight of Chopper. "...A dog?"

"I have antlers, you idiot!"

"Ha-ha!" Luffy crouched down beside the man. "You're funny!...Uh, who are you?"

The young man turned to face him. "Me? I suppose you are outsiders, then. Everyone I meet seems to know my name – not bragging, or anything."

He stood up and dusted off his pants. "My name is Deity. Prince Deity of Jupiter Island and heir to the throne of the Jupiter Kingdom, to be exact, but you can call me Deity."

Chopper gawked. "You're a Prince?!...Oh, well, you do live in a castle...wait a minute! That means that you're an ancestor of one of the Royal families!"

Deity sighed. "You've heard the rumours. Well, yes, I am one of the ancestors, but to be honest, I don't know about them at all. My parents don't ever tell me anything about who they are or what they did. I know as much as you two do...which reminds me," he scratched the back of his head, "why did you two fly into my room?"

"Never mind that," Luffy licked his lips, "I smelled meat! You're rich, right? You've gotta have the best meat around!"

"Oh," Deity blushed, "I didn't know the smell would reach so far into town. My parents are away on a business trip, and I let the servants off for the weekend, leaving me the only one in the Kingdom, so I took a chance and tried to teach myself how to cook."

"Who cares," Luffy shook Deity by his shoulders, "where's the meat?!"

"In the kitchen...do you want some?"

"YES!"

As Luffy gobbled down hamburger after hamburger, Deity handed Chopper a cup of warm coffee. "Here in Jupiter, we usually add a hint of mint or honey to our coffee, but as a treat, I've given you a touch of the Jupiter flower, the plant that our island is named after."

Chopper gratefully took the drink and sipped it down. "...Wow! This taste excellent!" He felt his cheeks go warm. "it's so soothing yet tingly!"

"The Jupiter flower is the finest plant in the New World," Deity explained, "it looks a lot like a dragon-snap, only much larger and filled with nutrients and a dew that tastes as delicious as fresh honey. I grow a garden of them myself out back."

"It's way better than fresh honey!"

"More meat, please!" Luffy finally spoke after nonstop eating. Deity nodded, and opened the ginormous fridge. "I have plenty to work with here, so I don't mind giving out a bit." He pulled out a large crate of meat. "Shall I warm it up for you?"

"Don't bother!" Luffy grabbed the entire crate and placed it in front of himself at the long, wooden table. Opening it up from the side he began to chomping down again, chills running through him every once in a while.

"Say, Prince Deity," Chopper began,

"Please, just call me Deity."

"Okay. Deity, how were you able to get the castle all to yourself? You're a royal family member, right? Shouldn't you be constantly protected, just like the castle? It doesn't make sense for everyone to leave you alone like this."

Deity sat down beside Chopper. "I know it sounds strange, but Jupiter is one of the most peaceful islands in the world. We rarely ever have trouble. Once in a blue moon do we get pirates, and even then they stay near the docks. Ever since the tales of us being ancestors of the Royal families came out, we haven't had many visitors, so we stay to ourselves."

"Everyone is a friend to everyone in this Kingdom. Beyond the town is nothing but forestry and farming. We have no enemies, only allies. My parents never worry when they leave, and I can easily convince the servants to take a break once in a while. They deserve it, after all, with all the work they do in this enormous establishment."

"Say, Deity," Luffy spoke between bites, "what do you think about pirates?"

"I can't really say I have an opinion on them yet. I've only met the occasional, rare pirate before. Mostly whenever they come to the docks mother and father keep me inside until they leave. Don't want me getting too interested in sailing the high seas."

"Have you ever seen the wanted posters?"

"No."

"Well then," Luffy grinned, "this is a first time experience. Cool."

"I don't think I follow."

Chopper took another sip of his coffee. "We're members of the Straw Hat Pirates. Luffy is our captain, and we're a band of villainous, low-life scum that hunts for treasure and the One Piece."

"...No you're not."

"What?"

"You don't act like low life scum."

"...Okay, I lied."

"You're a funny dog."

"I'm a reindeer!"

"Ha-ha-ha!" Luffy gulped down the last of the meat. "This is great! You're a cool guy, Deity."

"Thank, Luffy...hm?"

"Oh?" Luffy felt someone move up behind him. Before he could turn around, his face was planted into the table's surface.

"OW!" He snapped his neck back up and held his cheeks. "That hurt, Sanji!"

Sanji stood behind him, fully dressed, his leg high above Luffy's head. "That's what you get for breaking into a royal castle and stealing all the meat! That could have been used to make some delicious meals for Nami and Robin!"

"It isn't yours to use, either, Sanji."

Sanji turned back to the doorway, his heart ablaze. "Nami-swan! You came to find me!"

Nami entered the kitchen, followed by the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates. Deity noticed the vast diversity of each member, from a robot man to a walking skeleton. "Luffy, is this your crew?"

"Yup!"

"Luffy," Usopp spoke in a dignified voice, "you shouldn't be randomly entering people's homes, it's wrong."

"But we're pirates."

"Still, he didn't do anything to us."

"Anyway, we have to leave soon," Robin said, "or the Marines will be onto us. They're sure to notice our ship soon."

Deity felt his heart sink. "You're...leaving so soon?"

Nami nodded. "It was so nice of you to care for Luffy and Chopper. I don't know how we can repay you, but since we're pirates, I'll just use the excuse that we don't have to, okay?"

Luffy frowned. "Aw, no way, Nami! I don't wanna leave!" He let his head drop back onto the table. "This reeks..."

Chopper drank the rest of his coffee in silence.

"Sorry, guys," Usopp added, "but let's find somewhere better to hide and rest up."

"...You need to rest, right?"

All heads turned to Deity, who stood up and smiled.

"I do have the entire castle to myself for the weekend."

Luffy grinned. "That's it! We'll dock in the castle's secret harbour and stay here for the entire weekend to rest! It'll be great!"

"Luffy!" Nami hit him upside the head. "You can't go inviting yourself into other people's homes!"

"It's fine." Deity chuckled. "I'd rather enjoy the company, if it's not too much trouble for you guys. I've never met pirates before."

Luffy smirked. "Where's the best place to eat?"

"Luffy!" Nami urged them towards the exit.

"That would be the kitchen right here."

"How about a library?"

"Robin?"

"Of course."

"A sniping area?"

"Usopp, please!"

"On the roof."

Nami gave up. "Fine! As long as he says it's okay, we'll stay." She studied his face. "Can we trust you?"

Deity bowed. "On my honour, I won't tell a single soul know you're here."

After a moment, she smiled. "Well, alright then! Looks like we have a place to stay!"

"YAY!"

"Now, let's get some sleep!"

"Aww!"

"NOW, LUFFY!"


	2. Spar with the Legendary Pirate Hunter

Prince Deity awoke the next day fresh and ready. He brushed his hair and put on a white tank top over grey sweatpants and slip-on shoes. He pulled out a clean towel from his closet and smiled.

"Time for my morning training."

Exiting his bedroom he walked past the many other rooms that were currently being used by his guests. He felt a strange excitement and nervousness as he strode by.

"To think – I have pirates staying with me. Pirates!"

_I'll let them sleep, _He thought to himself as he reached the stairs and walked down. Entering a new hallway, he opened the second door on the right to enjoy the training room his father had built for him when he was younger.

"_You must grow up to become a strong and wise King," _his father had told him once, _"so I'm given you your own place to grow at your own pace. Here you will learn the technigues of some of the greatest swordsman in the world."_

"I can't remember if I cleaned my sword last time," he murmured as he entered the main training area, "I should check to make sure-?"

Deity stood at the edge of the mats to find The greened haired pirate – lifting the largest weights his father had in the training room, weighing more than five tons on either side! "Um, mister pirate?! Are you alright?! Those weights-"

"Will have to do," he replied as he lifted them into the air and back down, again and again. Deity stood in shock, noting the long scar on his chest and along his left eye. "You...you're having such as easy time with them..."

He tried to think of how to start a conversation, but he didn't know if that was such a good idea. _What if I distract him and he drops the weights? They could crush him!_

"Hey."

He snapped back to reality. "Y-yes?"

"That your sword?" The pirate held the dumbbell in one hand and pointed to the opposing wall, where barrels of practice swords and various shields were stored. Hanging on the wall was a beautiful Katana, a sleek golden blade with a velvet handled that was shaped into the form of a large bird, two diamonds for eyes.

Deity nodded. "That's right. _K__asai fenikkusu no ōgon no tsume, _a sword handed down from my grandfather to my father, then to me. I've had it since I was five.

"...I can tell that it's had a lot of experience in battle," the pirate commented, "and its strength surpasses its beauty."

"...I don't believe I got your name, sir."

"You can drop the sir," he placed the dumbbell back on the floor, "my name is Roronoa Zoro, but Zoro is just fine. I usually train in the morning on the ship, but Nami said I couldn't bring my weights into the castle."

_THE Roronoa Zoro?! A-amazing! _

"I-I wouldn't mind."

"Thought so, so I did anyway."

"Oh?" Deity looked around. "...Where are they?"

"I got lost on the first floor and left them somewhere."

_...The first floor isn't that complicated..._

"Then it took me a while finding this place. I was supposed to start training at five, and it's already seven."

_...This man...what kind of directional sense does he have? _"I can go find them, if you wish."

Zoro smirked. "No, I won't be needing them, because I have a sparring partner."

"You do?"

_Am I going to get to see two pirates duke it out in my own castle?!_

"Take hold of it."

"?"

Zoro pointed to the sword on the wall. "Show me what you know. _K__asai fenikkusu no ōgon no tsume _is lusting for some action."

"Lusting..," Deity felt his nerves tangle as he grabbed his sword and entered onto the training mats. The handle felt cool in his sweaty palms.

_How could I possibly defeat the legendary pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro in a fight?...Wait..._

"If you're a pirate hunter, how come you're on a pirate ship?"

"I was only given the title by others," Zoro replied as he picked up one of his swords, the one with a white handle, "I never claimed to actually hunt pirates. I only did it to survive."

He readied into his battle stance and held out his sword. " _K__asai fenikkusu no ōgon no tsume, _I'd like you to meet _Wado Ichimonji, _my most trusted sword."

_Now he's talking to the sword. How closely can one come to being the perfect swordsm__an__, I wonder? Does it involve reading the weapon as well as the opponent?_

"Ready?"

Deity felt rigid, but nodded.

"Good. BEGIN!"

The next three minutes felt like a mere few seconds as Deity desperately tried to keep up with Zoro. The swordsman flew past and around him in a dizzying manner, and a few times Deity was sure he'd accidentally hit himself. When it was over, he sat down, exhausted. "Y-you're...you really are legendary, Zoro."

"Not yet."

"Hm?" Deity glanced up at him to find Zoro frowning, deep in thought.

"It's my dream to become the world's greatest swordsman. I have to. I made a promise to someone very important to me, that I would become only the best. That's why I've joined Luffy's crew – I will help him become the king of the pirates, and I'll become the greatest alongside him."

_And to think, I thought all pirates were only striving to gain riches and fame, no matter the cost._ "Aren't you strong enough yet?"

"If I were the best," he gave Deity a stare that could freeze blood, "you wouldn't be able to talk to me after three minutes of sparring."

_Scary!_

Zoro sheathed his sword, placed it with his other two and began to walk out of the training room.

_The man who uses three swords...he's as terrifying as they say._

"I'm going to go clean up now."

"The washrooms are down the right hall."

"Thanks."

"...Zoro?"

"Yes?"

Deity stood up and held his swords out, examining its blade. "...You're going to be the greatest swordsman, right? What are you willing to give up for that dream?"

_Is he willing to kill his own friends?_

Zoro stopped and glanced back over his shoulder, smiling.

"I'll give it all up for my dream. That's what it means to be a pirate." He walked out of the room, leaving Deity pondering.

_He'll give everything up for his dream...what a guy...!_

"Hey, wait, Zoro! That's the left hallway!"


	3. The Feelings of the Tangerine Thief?

After having a shower himself Deity had returned to his room to change into some more proper clothing. His spar with Roronoa Zoro had left him feeling tired but strangely energetic all at once. As he threw on a blue tunic over some brown pants and boots he decided that he would next have to water his gardens. "It's always nice to be out in the fresh air after training," he said to himself as he exited his room.

The garden was outside at the eastern end of the castle's backyard, and as he stepped out of the back door towards it he smelled a hint of blueberry. "That's strange. I don't have any blueberries in the garden."

_The only blueberry around is mother's quality shampoo..._

As soon as he reached the garden he found his answer. The Jupiter flowers were surrounded by rose bushes and sunflowers, and beside it was his family's large underground pool. Resting in the nearby pink pool chair reading one of his father's journals was Nami, her orange hair in a ponytail and her red tank and blue short shorts shaded by the umbrella above her.

"Good morning, Miss Nami."

She glanced up and smiled at him. "Oh, good morning, Deity. Thanks again for letting us stay here for the weekend, it's a really good chance to relax without worrying about the Marines. I just had one of the most relaxing showers I've had in weeks."

"It's no problem," he stepped closer to her and noticed the THIEVERY printed in black on her shirt, "I enjoy the company."

"Well then I guess it works out for both of us...mind you, I'm still on my guard."

"I understand." He glanced at the journal again. "I see you found your way to my father's private office."

"Oh, yes," she closed the journal and winked, "it's near impossible to hide treasure from me."

"Treasure? You mean the journal?"

She nodded, and opened to a page near the back, where an old folded map fell onto her lap. Placing the book beside her on a small table she unfolded the map and gazed at the isles surrounding Jupiter Island. "Did your dad make this?"

"Mother, actually. She always enjoyed drawing out maps when she was a girl, and from time to time she'll make one for passing travellers."

Nami smiled as if she were lost in thought. "I guess we have a lot in common, then."

"How so?"

"It's my dream to make a map of the world, so I'm staying on as navigator for the Straw Hat pirates until I can finish it."

_Another dream. First to be the greatest swordsman, then to make a world map..._

"Say, Nami?"

"Yes?"

"Roronoa Zoro told me that he would give anything to make his dream come true. Is that the same for you?"

She grinned. "Well, to be honest-"

She was stopped mid-sentence by the sound of something spinning, light and crisp. "Oh," Deity pointed over around the corner of the palace, "sorry to alarm you. Those are just the-!"

He couldn't finish his sentence before Nami leapt out of her chair and ran around the palace. "Is something wrong, Nami?!" He quickly followed after her. He caught up just as she turned the corner and froze, causing him to nearly collide with her. "Ah, sorry!"

She didn't respond, only staring at the small garden before them. He turned and gestured to the many trees that formed a U-shape before them. "You're not allergic to tangerines, are you?"

Again he was left in silence. Nami only gazed at the trees, then down at the centre of the garden, where a small cluster of rainbow pin-wheels were spinning in the wind that swept her bangs to the side. "..."

Deity didn't know how to react. "...When I was little, my mother travelled to the East Blue, and landed on an island she said grew the most delicious tangerines she'd ever tasted. The young woman running the shop gave her a couple, and she's been growing them ever since. As for the pin-wheels, those are gifts from the children that she gave the tangerines to last year at the Sun-Water Festival."

"...Bell-Mere..,"

"?"

"...I used to hate pirates."

_What? _Deity tried to read Nami's expression, but she seemed to be in some sort of peaceful content. "If you hated pirates, then why become one?"

She gripped her left arm under the shoulder, and Deity noticed for the first time her unusual tattoo.

_Is that a...pin-wheel?_

"I thought they were all cowards, loathsome and despicable...then I met Luffy," her grip softened, "and Sanji, Zoro, Usopp. They...they saved me, and in return I vowed to be their navigator. They couldn't get anywhere without me, anyway."

"...Who was Bell-Mere?"

"She was my mother." Nami smiled at him, only this smile was tinged with pain. "She grew tangerines, too."

"Oh..,"

_Bell-Mere...was that the woman that..._

Nami sighed, and walked over towards the nearest tangerine tree. "I will give it all up for my dream. Zoro was telling the truth." She picked a fresh fruit from the bottom of the plant and bit into it. "...I need to finish this map before I die."

"Why?"

"Well, if you really want to know..," she turned and smirked at him, "it'll cost you ten million."

"Uh...I'm fine."

_THIEVERY is right._

"Anyway, I need to finish reading before breakfast. Say, Deity, maybe you could delay Sanji a bit. I'm nearly done the last chapter."

"I'll try. What's so interesting about the journal?"

"You've never read it?"

"Father never let me."

"Oops," Nami giggled and jogged back to her chair, "then I can't go telling you now, can I?"

Deity smiled. The stories of pirates beings cowards and treacherous - he had heard them all from travellers. However, the Straw Hats were beginning to taint those fables little by little.

"Even if they are treacherous...how bad can someone be if their dream is to make a map?

"By the way," Nami called back, "I took a few items from your treasury. That's okay, right?"

"Wha-!? That room has at least five combination locks on it! How did you break in!?"

"Did I mention that I'm a master thief?"

_There's the treachery._


	4. The Fantasy the Greatest Chef Will Find!

"Stall Sanji, stall Sanji...how on earth do I do that?"

Deity walked quietly through the halls towards the kitchen. He could smell bacon and eggs as the scent drifted throughout the palace. He couldn't hear any of the other pirates as he spotted the opening to the dining room.

_I wonder if the rest are asleep, or if they all get up at the same time?_

It was then that he heard a loud _crash! _Come from the dining room. "What?! What happened?!"

"LUFFY!" He could hear an angry voice ring out. "Don't go eating all the meat! We all need to have breakfast, not just you!"

"Ah, Sanji, stop it!" Luffy was clearly running around as he replied. "I only wanted a taste!"

"Your taste is a buffet sized bite, you moron! Now GET OUT!"

Deity felt the urge to back up against the wall as Luffy popped out of the dining room and raced in his direction. "Oh, hi, Deity," he said as he sped past, "breakfast tastes great, by the way!"

_Good to know._

Luffy disappeared around the corner, and Deity wondered if he'd be safe in the kitchen. "...I told Nami I'd delay him, so I have to."

He entered the dining hall, and immediately wished he hadn't.

"...Oh, no..."

Where the dining table should have been was a pile of broken mahogany chairs, and the large glass window looking towards the docks behind the palace was smashed open, the table sitting upside-down on the lawn. "Mother won't be happy about this..."

"Ah, morning, Prince Deity."

Deity turned to see Sanji standing in the entrance to the kitchen, wearing a fine red shirt, dress pants and chestnut boots. "Sorry about the mess," he smiled as he wiped a glass clean, "don't worry, Luffy and Usopp will fix it."

"Ah...thank you."

Sanji returned to the kitchen, and Deity carefully followed. _So..Sanji threw the furniture around at Luffy? That's a lot for a man who doesn't look like he's broken a sweat._

The kitchen was much neater, despite being filled with plates of toast, bacon, sausages, pancakes, eggs and other assorted goods. Sanji was working at the stove, stirring some sort of gravy-like substance. "Wow, Sanji, you're amazing."

"Yeah, well, it takes a lot of work to be the best cook on the Grand Line." Sanji smirked as he poured the gravy into a bowl. "Thanks for letting me use your kitchen, You've got about every herb and type of meat I've ever seen."

"I thought Luffy ate all the meat?"

"He tried to, so I went out early this morning and bought all I could...with your money, of course. Nami would hate it if we used our own expenses."

"Oh, that's alright." Deity stood beside Sanji and admired how clean he had kept the counter. "Strange. Chef Finch usually makes a bit of a mess whenever he cooks."

"I've learned to keep my quarters clean at all times."

"Can I do anything to help?"

"No, I think I'm just about finished here."

_Right! I have to delay him!_

"...So, uh, Sanji..."

"Yes?"

"...Roronoa Zoro said he wants to be the greatest swordsman in the world, and Nami wants to make a map of the world, that those were their dreams...do you have a dream?"

Sanji didn't seem to stop smiling, even as he lit a smoke and sighed. "I'm going to find the All Blue, even if it kills me."

"The All Blue?" Deity had heard the name before, but it was so long ago, he couldn't remember where. "Is that a sea?"

"Yup. You see, the All Blue is a place where the North, South, East and West seas all meet, and all fish from those four seas can be found there together. It's a culinary dream come true."

"Can a place such as that actually exist? It's sounds too fantastical."

"I know it's real, and I'm going to find it."

Deity felt like an idiot for asking, but he couldn't fully understand Sanji's logic. "Sanji, if you haven't found the place, and it isn't on the maps my father has, then how can you know? Did somebody give you a picture, or tell you they found it?"

Sanji seasoned the bacon with some herbs his mother had bought. "...I know it's hard to comprehend, but no one has shown me a photo or told me they've seen it. I just have this feeling that it's real."

"You're willing to die for a feeling?"

"That's right, and to do so, I'm going to help make Luffy the Pirate King, so that I, too, can fulfil my wish. I share this dream with an old friend of mine."

_An old friend?_

"There," Sanji declared, "I'm all done. Time to call everybody in for breakfast. Do you mind, Deity? I saw a bell in the dining room used to call down servants, so we'll just use that."

"Oh, right."

_I don't think I stalled him at all! He kept working even while I was talking to him._

Deity began to leave the kitchen, but stopped. "...Sanji."

"Yeah?"

He turned and smiled. "I hope you find your dream."

Sanji gave him a thumbs up. "Of course I will."

"Hey, guys." Nami walked into the kitchen, the journal at her side. "I just finished. Thanks for the stalling, Deity."

"No problem, though I don't think I-"

"NAMI-SWAN!"

Deity jumped out of the way as Sanji spun towards Nami. "I'm so glad you're here, and you look so gorgeous in that outfit!"

"Thank you, Sanji."

"I've made your favourite tea, so go ahead and take whatever you like! You don't need to wait!"

Deity felt a sudden change in Sanji's demeanour. _He went from serious chef to fantasizing school boy with a crush – what the heck happened?! __And what's with his eyes suddenly going all pink?!..Whoa, I never noticed how curly his eyebrow is, either..  
_

"Well," he felt it was the perfect time to leave, "I'll go call everyone else."

"Thanks for the help, Deity," Sanji said as he handed Nami a plate.

_He's back to normal, and so quickly!_

"No need for that," Said a tall, black haired woman as she and Chopper came in, "we could all smell the delicious aroma from every corner of the mansion."

"ROBIN-SWAN, MY PRECIOUS!"

_And there he goes again. What a strange man.  
_


	5. A Flower Capable of Blooming Dark Truths

Breakfast had been the most interesting time for Deity. He listened intently as Luffy told him stories of how he had met Red Haired Shanks, and how he had accidentally eaten the Gum-Gum fruit. From his friendship with a soon to be Marine to asking Roronoa Zoro onto his crew, it all went by too fast as Luffy finished off the last of the sausage and ran off to avoid Sanji's cleaning instructions for the dining room.

"If you don't fix this I'm going to stick you on a vegetarian diet for a year!"

He helped Sanji and Nami clean up the dishes as the rest of the crew returned to their activities. He couldn't help but feel ecstatic.

_I just had breakfast with a talking skeleton, a pirate captain and a raccoon dog-er, reindeer. Wow!_

"Deity," Sanji stopped towards him, "I hope it's not too much trouble to ask a favour of you."

"Not at all!"

"Great." He held out a small glass tea cup and matching plate, filled with a sweet smelling drink. "I was wondering if you could deliver this to Robin. I would myself, but I need to clean up for lunch. I believe you'll find her wherever you have plenty of books."

"Oh! My library, then." Deity was quite proud of his vast collection of novels and textbooks, and would often lend them out to the townsfolks to read and use in school. "I'd be happy to, Sanji."

"Great, and remember, if you ever need anything, I'm in the kitchen."

"Thanks."

* * *

The library was located beside his bedroom, and as he opened the door he was greeted by the bright sun glowing through the pale glass windows, shelves of colour arranged books without a speck of dust upon them, constantly cleaned by the servants. A long oak table sat near the side wall, and he spotted a few old history books opened up on it, but no Robin.

_Where is she? Still looking?_

He crept around each corner of the shelves until he came to the second last one, where he stored all the texts his father bought him. As he turned the corner he found Robin, completely enthralled in a small brown novel. She wore a short, lime green sleeveless turtle-neck dress and matching sandals, and her hair was tucked over her right shoulder.

_I never noticed before how beautiful she is...gah, stop staring, you idiot!_

"Um, Robin?"

She glanced up at him, surprised that there was life beyond the pages of the book. "Oh, you're Prince Deity. It's nice to finally meet you face to face. May I help you?"

"Well, Sanji made you some tea," he held the cup up, "so I brought it for you."

"Thank you," she smiled at him, "you can just place it on the table."

He did as instructed, and as he placed it down noticed the pages Robin had opened. "Robin...does your dream have anything to do with history?"

"My dream?" She walked over and sat down beside him, closing the book she had been reading. "So you've been asking the others why they're pirates."

"Just a few." He sat down on the other side of the table. "Say...you wouldn't happen to be Nico Robin, would you?"

"Why, yes, I am." She held her arm up, and immediately three more grew out of the table top, causing Deity to nearly fall out of his chair. "M-more a-arms?!"

"This is the power of the Flower-Flower fruit," Robin let her arms flip through the book pages, "it's helped me escape many different troublesome situations."

He didn't want to pry, but with THE Nico Robin sitting right next to him, he had to know. "They say you've been wanted by the World Government for a while now, ever since you were a child. Is it true?"

The extra arms disappeared, and she took a long sip of her tea. "...Have you heard of the poneglyphs?"

"My father mentioned something about them. Stones that hold the history of the Void Century, correct?" He reached back into his memories of his father's explanation, before remembering something important.

"_They say only one person in the world can read them." _his father had told him about a year ago during one of his lessons.

"_That person is the Nico Robin, and she's a danger to the world because of this ability – and yet, she's also a gift, the only person in the world capable of shedding light onto our past, and quite possibly our future."_

He gazed at Robin, unable to see her as an enemy. "You're a gift to the world, wrapped away in the lies of the Government."

Robin's eyes widened for a second before she gave him the warmest smile he'd seen in years. "How poetic of you."

"...Ah!" He felt his cheeks burning. "I-I didn't mean to say that aloud!"

_BAKA!_

"It's alright...," she took another sip of her tea, "...thank you."

"Ah...your welcome."

"I do have a dream, one that may alarm you." She stared deep into his eyes. "A dream I'll give up my life to fulfil."

"...You want to learn the history of the Void Century." Deity should have known. She had been searching for them all this time, right? "Even if it's illegal to research, you'll give up everything for it?"

"Not my friends."

"Huh?"

Robin held the cup carefully in her hands and looked at it thoughtfully. "My dream will be fulfilled, but only with my friends at my side. I would risk anything to keep them alive."

"Even more so than your dream?"

"The Straw Hat Pirates...Luffy, Nami, Chopper...they're part of my dream come true."

_I get it. No dream's complete without someone to share it with...but does the same go for Zoro? Nami? Sanji? Is the crew part of their dreams?_

"I'm afraid there isn't a poneglyph on this island," Deity admitted, "and I don't think I have any books regarding the subject."

"I didn't think so," Robin sighed as she finished her tea. "Well, thank you, anyway, for the books and the tea."

"It's no problem." Deity stood up and began to head towards the door, but stopped. "...Robin?"

"Yes?"

"When you learn the history of the Void...," he glanced back at her, "would you...share it with me?"

"?"

"I'd like to know what happened."

She stood and drifted back between the book shelves.

"When I learn the secrets of the Void, I'm going to tell everyone, don't you worry. Nothing can stop me – not even the World itself."


	6. Pirate Healer of Monstrous Proportions

"_When I learn the secrets of the Void, I'm going to tell everyone, don't you worry."_

Deity slowly walked through the halls, thinking about what Robin had told him. "...Why does the Government keep it hidden? Don't we deserve the right to know?"

"I've got tools!"

He glanced up to see Luffy racing towards him, carrying wooden planks, a hammer and a bag of nails. "I'm gonna fix that window!"

"Thanks, Luffy," Deity replied as Luffy bounded past him and back towards the dining room, "don't strain yourself."

_He's carrying at least a ton of wood! How strong are these guys?!...He's going to tear up the carpet running like that, too..._

"Oh, well," he said to himself as he began to walk again, "at least the window will be fixed-!"

He felt his foot catch on a tear in the rug, and he hit the floor on his stomach.

_Should have known. _

As he sat himself up he felt pain run up his arm. "Ouch!" He looked down at his right hand and winced at the sight of a nail sticking through it. "At least I've had my shots."

_Maybe Luffy shouldn't be running around with such sharp objects._

"Oh, Deity!"

He looked back up to see Chopper carrying two thin textbooks into the nurse's office. "Why are you on the-?!" He saw Chopper's gaze fall onto the blood streaming down his palm.

"GAHHH! You're bleeding!" Chopper dropped the books and ran around in frantic circles. "Quick, someone, anyone, call a doctor! A DOCTOR!...Oh, wait, I AM the doctor!"

Deity could only watch in a mixture of confusion and amusement as Chopper raced into the office and ran out with a pile of clean bandages.

"Come into the office, now!"

"...You're a doctor?"

_I didn't know reindeer could get that kind of license...REINDEER CAN'T GET ANY KIND OF LICENSE!_

* * *

"There," Chopper finished tying the bandages around Deity's hand, "you're all better."

Deity sat on the bed in the nurse's office as Chopper rummaged through the various books on the main desk, which rested beside a shelf of medicines, concoctions and other herbal remedies from around the world.

"By the way," Chopper asked as he stood on the desk chair, "how did you get a nail in your hand?"

"Oh, Luffy dropped it while he was running around with supplies to fix the dining room window."

"Oh, oops," Chopper blushed, "sorry about that. Luffy can be a little clumsy, but he's the greatest captain in the world."

Deity smirked. "And he has the greatest doctor in the world by his side, it seems. You've done a brilliant job, Chopper – I can barely feel the pain any more."

Chopper's eyes widened, and he began to sway back and forth, a huge grin on his face. "Shut up, you stupid idiot! Don't think that makes me happy or anything, clutzy jerk-face!"

_You sure look happy._

"...Is it your dream to be the greatest doctor?"

Chopper nodded. "That's right! I'm going to be the greatest doctor in the whole world, and I'm going to cure every disease, even the incurable ones!" He hopped onto the desk and gave a valiant pose. "I'm also going to be the Straw Hat Pirate's strongest monster!"

That threw Deity off. "Wait...you WANT to be a monster?"

Chopper calmed himself, and sat properly in the chair, swaying his tiny legs. "Well, you see, because I ate the human-human fruit, and have a blue nose, my family didn't want me. I thought I'd always be ridiculed by the world...but then, I met Dr. Hiluluk, and Dr. Kureha, and Luffy and Sanji and Nami and...and...well," he held his large hat over his eyes,

"I know monsters are supposed to be bad, but I'm going to be a good monster, and fight for Luffy at all costs. I'm going to be the greatest doctor, and Luffy's monster."

_So he was a reindeer turned half human by a Devil Fruit. To think that such an innocent kid was tormented by others because of his appearance._

"You're willing to give it all up for your dream?"

"Yeah!"

"...That's great," Deity murmured, "just like the others."

He glanced up, and noticed a small bag of golden balls sitting beside the textbooks. "Oh? I didn't think reindeer liked gum."

"Gum?" Chopper saw the golden balls and giggled. "No, silly, those are Rumble Balls, not gum."

"Rumble Balls?"

"They allow me to transform into a real monster for three minutes, but it does take the wind out of me, so I don't use it as much."

"How do you fight otherwise?"

"I'll show you!" Chopper leapt off the chair and grinned. "Guard point!"

Immediately he puffed up into a large ball of fur.

"...You're a cotton ball."

"It's my guard point, moron!"

_So he can transform...cool._

"..You know," Chopper said as he changed back to his original form, "at first, I didn't want to join Luffy and the others."

"Why not?"

"I didn't want to leave home, and I didn't think they'd accept me."

"Chopper, you have a talking skeleton on your crew. I think you're pretty normal."

Chopper seemed to ponder this for a moment. "...I don't want to be normal any more."

"You don't?"

"No." Chopper seemed distant, as if daydreaming. "Being part of Luffy's crew makes me abnormal, and that's just what I want."

Deity didn't know what else to say, so he got up and walked out into the hall. "Thanks for the medical attention, Chopper."

"No problem! Can't have you dying from a nail now, can we?"

"Only if I'm forgotten."

Chopper froze. "...What did you say?"

Deity turned back to him. "You can't die until you're forgotten, right? That's what an old pirate once told me...can't remember his name, but I think he had a point."

Deity was sure he saw tears in Chopper's eyes. "Ah, Chopper, did I say something that-"

"You're right."

"?"

Chopper's large grin came back. "Now get out of here before we get all sappy, you stupid dumb-dumb!"

_Ooookaay, definitely not normal._


	7. The Liar that Would Someday Be So Great!

"...Abnormal..."

Deity had left Chopper to his work, and was now relaxing on the roof of the palace, where his mother had set up a smaller garden with an ivory bench, overlooking the entire town. Nearby was a practice area for sniping that pointed to the backyard, where he and his father would sometimes try to harmlessly hit birds with tiny blunt balls.

"I'd never forgive myself if I actually hit a bird and hurt it," he murmured to himself, "...heh, guess I'd make a pretty lousy pirate."

The door to the roof opened up, and Deity watched as the long nose pirate in brown overalls and a green hat stumbled across to the sniping area, distracted by the strange tools he held in a large wooden crate. He set them down and began rummaging through it. "Now, where did I put that special hammer?"

Deity waited to to see the pirate would notice him, but after two minutes he realized that he was much too busy trying to find the hammer. "I saw Luffy carrying a funny looking hammer to the dinning room."

The pirate looked over at him and smiled. "Oh, hey, sorry, didn't see you there. You're Prince Deity, right?"

"That's right."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Usopp, legendary warrior of the sea!"

Deity gawked. "You're a legendary warrior?!"

"That's right, and...wait a minute!" Usopp peered over the rooftop, and Deity assumed he had spotted Luffy working on the dining room window. "Luffy! Did you steal my Usopp hammer?!"

"Sorry," Deity heard Luffy call back, "I needed it to fix the window!"

"Franky has plenty of normal hammers back on the ship, so use one of those!"

"Aww, but yours is so cool!"

"Well, I mean, yeah, it really is, isn't it?...DON'T CHANGE THE SUBJECT!"

"We're still talking about your hammer, right?"

"Honestly," Usopp groaned and rummaged through his crate again, "how can someone be so mean as to steal one's precious hammer?"

"...Usopp, if you're a legendary warrior, how come I've never heard of you before?"

"Erk."

_He lied._

"Well, I might not be legendary yet," Usopp smirked as he placed one foot on the crate, "but someday, I'm going to be Captain Usopp, the greatest, bravest and strongest warrior the world has ever known! All shall fear my name, and I shall crush any foe who dares to oppose me!"

"You're a Captain, too? I thought Luffy was the Captain?"

"Oh, he's Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, all right," Usopp pulled out a small slingshot from his pocket and stretched it out, "but I'm Captain of the Usopp Pirates! With my amazing sniper skills and an army of eight thousand behind me, I've taken on the greatest dangers!"

"Really?!"

"Why, sure! How about I tell you how I wrestled with three of the largest Sea Kings in the world, and won! Or the time I defeated a bear that was fifty feet high? Or how I took down an entire armada of Marine ships with only three shots!"

"Wow...wait," Deity sensed that something was amiss, "how do you carry around eight thousand pirates?"

"Uuuhhh..."

_He lied again._

"Alright," Usopp admitted as he sat down and began tinkering with another slingshot, "so those stories aren't completely true. I guess it's just a habit of mine to make up such fantastical stories."

"Oh?"

"You see, I used to tell them to a very dear friend of mine everyday back home, so she'd feel better. They'd make her laugh, and smile, and we'd talk for as long as I could muster up my tales of adventure."

Deity sighed. "So, the part about you being the greatest warrior of the sea – was that part real?"

"Of course!" Usopp grinned as he tightened the string of his slingshot. "I might just be a simple sniper for now, and I still have a ways to go before I can reach Luffy's level, but I'm going to grow in strength until I can finally call myself a warrior, just like my dad!"

"Your dad?"

"That's right! My father is part of the famous Red Hair Pirates! He's super strong, and I'm going to someday be as great as he is, then, even better!"

Deity had heard of the Red Hair Pirates, led by the fearless Captain Shanks. "That's who Luffy knew as a child, correct?"

"Yeah, and with my father aboard his crew, he's sure to go places."

_Hasn't he already gone places? _

"Usopp, I think you're already a warrior."

"Come again?"

"Travelling with the Straw Hats, fighting alongside Luffy and Roronoa Zoro and the others – you must have faced dozens of super strong enemies!"

"Well, I don't like to brag."

_Oh really?_

"...Yeah, we've faced plenty of foes together," Usopp gazed up at the sky, "but without my friends, I would have never made it this far. It's thanks to them that I'm growing stronger each day."

"So the crew is part of your dream, then?"

Usopp glanced at him, confused. "Why wouldn't they be? I would do anything to protect my friends, and because of that, I'm that much stronger."

_I'd never thought about it that way before..._

"And besides," Usopp stood up and reached deep into the crate, "if anyone tries to hurt my friends, I'll pound them – with this!"

He pulled out and held over his shoulder a huge hammer, and Deity made out the 5t symbol painted on the side. "Introducing the Usopp Pound!"

"You can lift that by yourself?!" Deity hadn't thought it was possible to simply carry around five tons. "You're as strong as Roronoa Zoro, then!"

"That's right. In fact, I might be even stronger!"

"Hey, Usopp," Luffy called out from below, "you can have your hammer back!"

Deity caught sight of a hammer flying up into the air, and as it hit Usopp's large hammer it tore right through it, causing the "five tons" to dissipate into paper shreds.

"Heh-heh, oops..."

_He lied again._

"Aw, well," Usopp threw the "hammer" aside, "back to fixing up my weapons!"

_Even if he does lie...a lot, he's still got so much energy and boundless strength To keep up with the likes of Roronoa Zoro and Sanji...he truly is a warrior of the seas._


	8. Shall we Sing Beyond Death's Reaches?

"I can't believe I almost forgot about my piano lessons!"

With all that had been going on, Deity felt like a fool for forgetting his promise to his mother, that he would practice for at least an hour on the family piano in the ballroom. "I should squeeze a little practice in before I say hello to the rest of the crew."

As he reached the ballroom door's, he heard the faintest sound of music. Quietly he leaned against the door and, opening it slightly ajar, peered into the crystal room to see the skeleton from breakfast, playing the piano as if it came naturally to him.

"_I'd watch the willows blossom by your side,_" the skeleton began to sing,

"_As the lush breezes rolled in from yonder seas,_

_And the moon would glow as bright as your smile,_

_'Till the old man'd let you do as you please,_

_Oh, sing for me, sweet Mary Widow,_

_Let your siren voice lull me 'till death_

_Oh, sing for me, darling, 'till I swell-o,_

_Oh, sing me for 'till my last breath._"

The music stopped, and Deity closed the door. "Amazing," he whispered to himself, "a musician that plays even when he should be long gone...could his desire for love or the sound of music be what kept him from dying?"

"No, actually, it was the Revive-Revive fruit."

Deity jumped back three feet from the open door as the skeleton stood over him, wearing a red button-up shirt and slim blue jeans over cowboy boots. "Ah, oh, y-you scared me!"

"Terribly sorry," The skeleton bowed, "Allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Brook, Luffy's personal musician of the Straw Hat Pirates."

"I see...so, what's the Revive-Revive fruit?"

"A Devil Fruit that allowed my soul to linger after my death, where it then entered my skeletal remains."

"...You still have hair."

"I know! Isn't it fabulous?"

_Pretty strange, actually._

"I heard you playing, and then singing, and I didn't want to intrude," Deity felt a sudden chill as he realized that he was talking to a dead man – literally, "so I was going to leave, if you didn't want me barging in."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all," Brook said, "say, do you yourself play?"

"A little. Nothing near as good as you, though."

"Well, then, come, let's hear."

"?"

"Your skills at the piano. I'd like to hear you play, if you wouldn't mind."

"Uh...sure?"

It was a blur as Deity found himself sitting at the piano, resting his fingers on the keys as Brook stood behind him.

"Whenever you're ready."

Breathing deeply, Deity began to play an old tune that his mother had taught him many years before, an old lullaby.

"...Lovely," Brook chimed in, "you have a splendid way of blending harmonies together."

"Th-thank you, sir."

_Why do I feel the need to address him as "sir"?...Oh, right, he's probably a few hundred years old._

"...Brook," Deity asked as he continued to play, "is it your dream to be the greatest musician in the world? Is that why you still play?"

"Are you asking why I play?" Brook stepped over the side the piano and fell silent for a moment.

_I hope I haven't hit a nerve...wait...does he even have nerves?_

"...I play," Brook spoke softly, "...because I feel hollow inside."

"..."

"...Hollow...because I am a skeleton! Yohohohohoho!"

_...Uh...how to comment..._

"My dream," Brook regained his composure, "is to one day reunite with an old crew mate of mine, the great whale named Laboon, and to allow him to hear the song my crew made for him, recorded on a tone dial."

"A tone dial?" Deity had never heard of such an object, but noted how important it sounded to Brook. "A song...say, Brook, who was your old crew?"

"Why, the Rumbar Pirates. We were quite skilled, but alas, before we could meet up with Laboon again, we fell to the hands of another crew. I am the only other member besides Laboon, due to the Revive-Revive fruit."

"...I'm sorry," Deity stopped playing, "I didn't mean to pry."

"It's quite alright. I'd rather they not be forgotten – those men were some of my greatest friends."

"So now you're the musician of Luffy's crew, right?"

"Yes, but I fight using my special sword."

"You're a swordsman? Do you spar with Roronoa Zoro?"

"Once in a while, but he's much, much stronger than me, and that's fine, so long as I can do anything to help Luffy."

"So," Deity chuckled, "you're all warriors of the sea. I wonder, do you ever get impatient of not being able to go straight to Laboon?"

"Good things come to those who wait."

"Oh?"

Brook nodded. "It's good to be patient, and I'll wait for as long as it takes. The Straw Hat Pirates and I will return to Laboon one day, so until then, I'll fight by their sides."

"That's so cool."

"Well, thank you," he replied cheerfully, "and don't you worry, nothing can stop us from achieving our dreams – they'll have to rip the skin off my bones before I stop!"

_...Wait..._

"...Oh...except that I don't have skin any more! Yohohohohoho!"

_...I still don't know how to comment..._

"Say," Brook pointed to the keys, "shall you play that lullaby again? I believe I remember the words to it from when I used to play it with the crew."

"Oh, sure." Deity started the song from the beginning, and as he played he felt strangely peaceful as Brook began to hum.

"..._Sweet baby child, through tear-filled eyes,_

_I shall watch you grow and grow,_

_My sweet baby child, oh how lovely you'll be,_

_Through ev-er-y single nigh..._"

As Brook sang out the lullaby, Deity thought of how lonely it must have been, waiting for the Straw Hats to find him on a ship of dead crew mates.

_Even through all the pain and suffering, he still has the heart and soul to sing with such clarity and strength. I wonder what trials and tribulations the other members have gone through to get here..._


	9. Tears of the Sunny's Dearest Friend

"Whoa," Deity couldn't find the words to describe his excitement, "it's awesome!"

After Brook had finished rattling off every bone joke he knew, he advised Deity to have a look at their ship, the Thousand Sunny, in all its glory. Deity hadn't ever seen a pirate ship up close before, and it was a bit overwhelming.

"She's a beauty, right?"

Deity saw a large man with robotic arms on deck, wearing a flowery beach top, golden chain and dark blue speedo. As the ship was docked behind the palace near an old copper bell used to warn sailors of storms, the crew didn't have to worry about being seen, so Deity could see why they were so at ease. "Hi, there, I'm-"

"Prince Deity, owner of this fab palace." The man jumped onto the side of the boat's railing and stood in a strange pose involving stretched out arms and a crooked lean. "The name's Franky, ultra-amazing cyborg of the Straw Hat Pirates!"

"You're a cyborg?!"

"That's right!"

"Cool!..." Deity frowned. "...What's a cyborg?"

"You don't know what a cyborg is?!" Franky gawked and spun around. "Well, then, come on up and allow the Frankster to explain to you the joys of being part robot!"

"Uh...okay."

Once aboard the Thousand Sunny, Deity saw just how spectacular the ship was. "This is one of the greatest ships I've ever seen," he exclaimed, "who built it?"

"Why, yours truly!" Franky formed into his strange pose again and grinned. "It's my greatest invention yet, baby! SUPER!"

_Did he just call me "baby"?_

"Now, about being a cyborg! Do you see these superb arms?"

"Yes."

"These rippling muscles?"

"Yes."

"My hair?"

"?"

Franky pressed his nose, and like a button it clicked. His short hair then poofed up into a long perm, and Deity couldn't stop himself from giggling. "You can control your hair?"

"And plenty more, too." Franky flexed his metallic arms with pride. "You see, Deity, a cyborg is a human with robotic extensions and additions to their body that allow them to go above and beyond their normal limitations."

"Did you purposely become a cyborg?"

"That's right, in order to make myself strong enough to fight alongside the crew." Franky rubbed his hand against the main mast of the ship. "I'll do whatever it takes to protect them and the Thousand Sunny. She's part of the crew, too, and as the Straw Hat Pirate's one and only shipwright, it's my duty to keep her healthy."

Deity watched the main flag sweep through the air in the light winds. "...Is she alive? Is the Thousand Sunny a cyborg, too?"

"Not alive like you and me are, but she's got a spirit of her own and lives on through each one of our adventures."

"...Franky, what's your dream?" He examined soft grass beneath their feet. "Does it have something to do with Miss Sunny?"

"Miss Sunny?" Franky howled with laughter. "I don't think I've ever heard anyone speak so politely to a ship!"

_Is he mocking me?_

"If you want to know what my dream is, then look around you!"

Deity glanced in all directions. "...You want to...overcome your fear of open spaces?"

"What?! No! Try again!"

"...You want to travel the Grand Line?"

"You're getting warmer!"

"...You want to find the All Blue!"

"I'm not Sanji!" Franky sighed and gave the Thousand Sunny's main mast a pat. "I wanted to create a dream ship that would last through dozens of epic battles, and reach the end of the Grand Line – and you're looking at her."

_So...the Thousand Sunny is his dream. And he's going to take it to the end of the Grand Line..._

"Is Miss Sunny your girlfriend?"

"You can't date a ship!" Franky sat down on the grass and breathed in a gulp of fresh air. "A great man taught me all I know about building ships, and now I'm going to take the Thousand Sunny to the end of the Grand Line."

_I wonder who the great man was. Should I ask?...No, I'd rather leave that memory with him._

"You won't be able to accomplish that dream on your own," Deity was starting to understand how the Straw Hat Pirates worked, "so you're going to reach the end with your friends by your side."

"Now you're getting it." Franky pressed his nose again, and his hair shortened. "You know, I can remember the days when I never dreamed of being a pirate."

"What were they like?"

"Lots of hard work, little sleep...okay, some sleep, and plenty of practice for improving my shipwright techniques. I created some pretty cool ships..."

"...Where are they now?"

"...At the bottom of the ocean."

"Huh? Why? Didn't you like them?"

Franky stared at Deity. "I made a mistake all those years ago, and my arrogance led to the loss of a dear friend of mine. Those ships hurt people."

"Was it you controlling the ships?"

"No, but-"

"Then why do you feel so guilty?"

"Hm?"

Deity smiled. "You created those ships from your own sweat, tears and blood. Sure, maybe someone used them for evil, and sure, they hurt someone you loved – but a ship can't be bad on its own, can it? I'm sure your friend would say the same thing...you should love everything you create. It's human nature that taints it, not the ship itself."

Franky was quiet for a long while, and just as Deity tried to think of something to say to break the ice, the cyborg began to wail as flooding tears ran down his face.

"Eh?! Franky, are you alright?!"

"I-i-it's j-just so b-b-beau-ti-ful!" Franky tried to wipe away his tears to no avail. "Y-you've r-really got the h-h-h-heart of a tr-true p-pirate!"

_Is he mocking me?!_

It did feel good to hear that he had the heart of a pirate, though. The more Deity talked with them, the more he realized how wrong the government was about pirates – they couldn't _all_ be bad.

"...Thanks, Franky."

"Y-y-you g-got it, kid! S-S-SUP-AR!"

"...So, is this how you usually water the grass? You know, with your tears?"

"S-SH-SHUT UP!"


	10. A Captain's Dreams, Promise and Gut

"TA-DAAAA!" Luffy gestured excitedly to the new and improved dining room "window".

"What do you think? Pretty great, huh?"

"Uh, yeah, Luffy," Deity forced a compliment out, "it's...majestic."

Deity was glad that Luffy had done his best to clean up the mess he had made before breakfast, and the table and chairs were properly arranged back inside, but the window...was another story.

"I've, uh, never seen such artistic use of plastic wrap before."

Where there had been a beautiful glass window with crystal fragments producing a portrait of their late ancestors, now stood a large circle of wooden planks miraculously nailed to the palace walls, plastic wrap stretched out to all edges, forming a big plastic circle.

"Now," Luffy added, "no rain will get in! You're going to be all dry!"

_Yup. These pirates are going to be the death of me._

Luffy dusted off his red shirt and blue shorts, and straightened out his straw hat. "Now that that's been fixed up, let's go do something fun – like eat lots and lots of meat!"

"Sanji said that lunch won't be ready for another hour, Luffy."

"Awwww," he moaned as he fell onto his back on the grass, "but I'm hun-ga-ry!"

Deity smiled and sat down beside him. "I'm impressed that you managed to reach so high up on the palace walls without any sort of stand."

"Oh, that?" Luffy stretched his arm out a few meters into the sky. "I'm a gum-gum man."

"That's right," Deity remembered back to Luffy's stories at breakfast, "you ate Shank's Gum-Gum fruit."

"Yeah. He was so shocked, I thought he was going to choke me to death!"

Just as Deity began to laugh, he felt something thin and flimsy fall over him. "Huh?" He pulled it off in surprise. "Uh, Luffy, I think the window's falling down again."

"What?!" Luffy jumped to his feet and frantically grabbed the plastic. "Oh, man! I gotta fix this before Sanji beats me up again!"

Deity stood out of the way as Luffy grabbed a nearby role of duck tape and began taping the plastic up along the wooden planks. "Gotta fix, gotta fix!"

_So...he's afraid of his crew's chef? I didn't think any pirate Captain was afraid of their crew...then again, the Straw Hats aren't your regular pirates._

"Luffy," Deity asked as the pirate finished taping the plastic back up and rested against the wall, "why is it your dream to become King of the Pirates?"

Luffy grinned at him. "Because of all the adventures! I've met so many cool people, and thanks to my friends, I've come so far!"

"So, you're willing to give it all up for the sake of your dream?"

"Yup!"

Deity felt a sudden memory float up from the back of his mind. "...Does that...that doesn't include...the lives of your crew, does it?"

Luffy's smile slowly faded, replaced with an expression of confusion. He lowered his head, his hat falling over his eyes.

"...Luffy...?"

"So, you met him."

"...Yeah," he admitted, "I've met him – Z, Captain of the Neo Marines. He came here to speak to my father, and he told me that he was hunting down pirates."

_He gave me such an uneasy feeling, though..._

"It's fine."

"?"

Luffy's expression lightened, and he glanced over at Deity. "He doesn't hunt pirates any more."

"Really?"

"Yeah. That trouble he caused with pirates – it's over, and he'll never harm another soul again."

_...Oh...so that means..._

"There are lots of people who don't want a new King of the Pirates, huh?"

"Yup." Luffy took his hat off and twirled it on his finger.

"So, you named your crew after a hat?"

"Yup."

"...Okay."

"Zoro, Nami, Sanji, Usopp," Luffy listed out his crew, "Robin, Chopper, Franky, Brook...I could have never made it this far without them. Being King of the Pirates means that I have to find the One Piece – but I also need the perfect crew."

"..."

"But I definitely needed a musician to survive!"

_What._

"I mean, what kind of pirate Captain could I be without a crew?" Luffy sat up and counted off on his fingers. "I can't use a sword very well, and I can't navigate, and I suck at cooking-"

"you aren't an archaeologist," Deity chimed in, "you don't know how to perform medical treatment, you can't snipe, you can't play many instruments-"

"More like NONE!"

"-And you aren't a shipwright."

"...I can do_ this_!" Luffy stretched his cheek two meters apart and stuck his tongue out. "No-phoby can doph thif!"

_What'd he say?_

Luffy let his cheeks go, and they smacked against his face. "I also have to give Shanks his hat back someday."

"Oh? But I thought he gave it to you?"

"He did, but only after we made a promise, one that I intend to keep."

"...What did you two promise to each other? That'd you return the hat?"

"Only once I surpass him."

Deity gawked. "Surpass...but, Red Haired Shanks...he sounds so strong! Are you sure you'll be able to beat him?"

"With my crew by my side, we'll definitely defeat Shanks and the Red Haired Pirates." Luffy tossed the hat back onto his head. "Then I'll return the hat. Until then, it's my most prized possession."

_All of this for one hat...pirates sure can be strange sometimes...but still so loyal..._

"What do you think the One Piece is, Luffy?"

"I hope it's meat."

"I doubt the One Piece is meat!"

"Okay, then, lots of steak!"

"Uh, that's-"

"Or sausage!"

"Well-"

"Ooh, ooh! HAM!"

"THAT'S STILL MEAT!"

"Hahaha!" Luffy's grin was back and bigger than ever. "Whatever it is, I'll find it!"

_To give it all up for his crew, his promise, his dream. In my books, THAT'S what King of the Pirates means. _

"...Wait a minute."

"What's up, Deity?"

"If you won't have your straw hat any more...,"

"Yeah?"

"What will your crew's name be? You won't have a straw hat, so the Straw Hat Pirates will become the Straw Hatless Pirates."

"...AAAHHH!" Luffy got to his feet and raced around in circles. "I completely forgot that we're going to need a new name!"

"Well, what will it be?"

"...The Super Awesome Amazing Pirates!...No, no, the Fantastic, Ultra-Cool Pirates!...the Red Shirt Pirates!"

"Those are all lame!"

"The Meat Pirates!"

"VERY WRONG!"


	11. Departure, a Farewell Come Too Soon!

"Aww," Luffy moaned, "do we have to leave _already_?"

Nami flipped her hair over her shoulder in frustration. "For the twelfth time, Luffy, YES! The Marines are sure to catch onto us staying here soon, and we've already caused Deity enough trouble. Besides, we don't have time to fight them."

"Nami's right, Luffy," Deity added, "the Marines are supposed to be coming for an inspection of the town today, and if they catch sight of you, who knows when you'll be able to leave?"

"Yeah, but I still don't like it."

_...Neither do I._

The weekend had gone by much too fast for Deity's liking. It was already Monday morning, and as the Straw Hats were packing up the last of their belongings back on the Thousand Sunny, Deity felt a deep sadness.

_I wish they could stay a little bit longer..._

"We're almost ready," Franky called down to them, "Luffy, we're out of here in ten!"

"Thanks for having us, Deity," Chopper giggled beside him, "It was a blast!"

"It was my pleasure, Chopper."

He stood still for a moment, before Deity realized that he was holding back tears. "I-I'm going to m-miss you!" He jumped up and hugged Deity tightly. "G-goodbye!"

Deity hugged him back. "Goodbye, Chopper. Thanks for healing my injury."

"No p-problem...wait! Luffy, did you apologize about that yet?"

"Uh, no, sorry, I forgot." He bowed to Deity. "I'm sorry."

"IT'S A LITTLE LATE TO APOLOGIZE TO HIM NOW!"

Robin sneaked up behind them and poked Deity on the shoulder. "I hope you don't mind," she said as she held a few books on her other hand, "but I stole a couple of history texts for the road."

"They're all yours, Robin. You deserve them more than I do."

She smiled and walked over towards the Thousand Sunny. "Don't worry, when I fulfil my dream you'll be one of the first to know."

As Deity finally managed to pry Chopper off of him, Sanji ran past him and spun towards Nami. "Nami-swan, I completely restocked Deity's kitchen, just like you asked!"

"Thank you, Sanji." She winked in Deity's direction. "A little token of our gratitude."

"Oh, well, thanks."

"Bought with your money, of course."

_Should have known there'd be a catch._

"Hey," Zoro called out to them, "has anyone seen my dumbbells?"

"Yeah, Sanji replied as he lit a new cigarette, "and I'm looking at one."

"What'd you say, you stupid chef?"

"You heard me loud and clear, moss for brains!"

"Why, I oughta-" he lunged off the ship and down at Sanji.

_Wow, _Deity thought to himself as Zoro and Sanji fought, _I really did get to see two real pirates duke it out!...Didn't think it'd be over something so stupid..._

"YOHOHOHOHO!" Brook danced around aboard the deck. "It's been plenty fun here on Jupiter Island! Perhaps I shall sing a song for our departure!"

"Not right now," Usopp answered as he loaded his crate of tools onto the ship, "we have to get moving – I've recently caught the Not-in-the-mood-to-fight-any-Marines sickness."

"Oh, man," Deity said, " is it serious?"

"Deadly."

"What?!"

"USOPP, YOU LIAR!"

"Chopper, it's serious! Really!"

The entire crew burst into laughter, and Deity soon joined in.

_This feels so good...I don't think I've ever laughed so much in my life as I have this weekend._

"Okay," Luffy smacked Deity on the back, "we're off, then." He stretched out his arms, grabbed the railing and flew onto the deck. "Don't worry, we'll come by again some time and say hi."

Chopper ran up the stairs onto the deck. "Stay healthy, Deity!"

Deity smiled. "I'll do my best!"

"Don't forget to practice those elegant lullaby's!"

"I won't, Brook."

"Take care of that Tangerine garden!"

"Of course!"

"Remember those cooking tips I taught you!"

"I don't think I'll ever forget!"

"Keep your sword happy."

"Got it."

"Always be SUPER!"

"...Sure."

"Eat lots of meat every day!"

"Thanks, Luffy."

_Sniping practice with Usopp...cooking lessons with Sanji...reading with Robin...golf with Franky...I don't think I could ever forget these memories._

"You know," Luffy grinned, "you could always come with us!"

"...What?"

"You know, run off and become a pirate, like we all did!"

"Yeah," Chopper exclaimed, "come on, Deity!"

_Join...the Straw Hat Pirates...? Me, a pirate?..._

He examined the ship, and studied the expressions of each member, as a faint memory rose in his mind.

"_Someday, you'll have to make a very tough decision, Deity," _his father had told him many times before, _"one that will affect your life forever. What it is or who it'll be for, I can't say, but remember – your choice affects others, so choose wisely."_

"...I'd love to-"

_DING-DONG!_

"Whoa," Usopp yelled over the deafening ringing, "what on earth is that sound, an alarm, or something?!"

"No," Deity sighed, "it's the palace doorbell. Someone's at the door."

"Geez," Sanji said, "loud enough. Everyone on the island must know whenever you have a guest."

"Yeah, we still have to work out the kinks. I should go see who it is."

"What if it's the Marines?"

"Probably not. They're not due for another hour or so. It's probably my parents, home from their trip."

"Oh."

The crew was silent for a moment, before Usopp gawked. "If they find is here, they'll kill us!"

"Uh, Usopp, my parents would never-"

"Besides," Nami said, "if the Marines learn you had pirates in your house, you'll get in trouble."

"True...I'll go see who it is."

"But," Chopper whined, "what about joining us?"

"Sorry," Deity replied as he jogged back to the palace, "but I have responsibilities here. Don't worry, though, I'll wait for you to return!"

"Right!" Franky ran to the wheel and howled for joy. "Let's get going, guys!"

Deity watched as the ship began to ride into the waters. "...Guys!"

They all looked back, and Deity cupped his hands around his mouth.

"I KNOW YOU'LL ALL REACH YOUR DREAMS!"

Luffy gave him the thumbs up.

"You gotcha! Bye, Deity!"

He waved to them until the doorbell rang again.

_DING-DONG!_

_Boy, do I have a story to tell mother and father!_


	12. A Choice that Made Their Dreams Live On

"I'm sorry, I didn't expect you for another hour or so, Sir."

"Of course, of course, no need to apologize," the man replied, "your highness, Prince Deity."

The man wore a dark green trench coat over a blue sweater-vest, pants and mind-bogglingly bright yellow boots, his beard short, eyes narrow and teeth yellow as sunflower. "I am Marine Officer Tsuki, but you may call me Mr. Tsuki."

Deity had never more so regretted opening a door. "Yes, sir."

"Oh, please, no need for such formalities." Tsuki pulled out a thin jade pipe and puffed out a cloud of grey smoke. "My men and I have come for a mandatory check up of the kingdom of Jupiter, on the account of complaints that there may be bothersome pirates in the vicinity."

"I see."

"I was wondering if perhaps I could speak to your parents?"

"I'm sorry, they're out on a trip and haven't returned. I'm sure if you come back later, you'll-"

"Oh, that's alright," Tsuki interrupted, "I just need to have a quick look around your mansion, is all."

"Excuse me?"

_This isn't good._

"It seems that the townspeople are worried that pirates have entered your palace grounds, and I'm here to ease their conscious. You wouldn't mind, would you?"

"...Not at all, Mr. Tsuki."

As Tsuki entered the palace and Deity closed the door behind him, his mind raced.

_What do I do?! If he finds out about the Straw Hats...what if they haven't gotten far enough away, and he sends the Marines after them? This really, really isn't good!_

"Say," Tsuki snapped him out of his thoughts, "this is quite the place you have here, isn't it?"

"Yes, Mr. Tsuki."

"It would be a real shame, you know," Tsuki glanced at him, "if you did have pirates here, or had pirates staying here, because – well, that'd be very wrong for a family of such power. They are criminals, after all."

"Not as much as the government," Deity murmured under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, Mr. Tsuki."

Tsuki frowned, and puffed his pipe again. "...No servants around, then?"

"No, Mr. Tsuki. I gave them all a vacation for the weekend."

"And no parents..."

"...No, Mr. Tsuki..."

_What's he getting at?_

"Now, listen to me, Prince Deity," Tsuki gestured to the palace walls, "you have a decent home here, and a loving family. You and I both know that there were pirates here-"

"But, sir-"

"And if you tell me where they are, I'll let you off, scotch free."

"I'm telling you, Mr. Tsuki, there were no-"

"Don't play dumb with me, boy!"

"?!"

Tsuki sneered. "I know that the Straw Hat Pirates were here, and you let them stay without so much as a worry."

_Darn it!_

"You spied on us?!"

"That's right. You see, I've been following them for a while now, and when you let them stop here for the weekend, I got the chance to watch how they interacted, how they think. I've followed them this far, and I'm not about to lose them."

_Dirty rat! I should have him arrested!...But if I do that, then they might find out the Straw Hats were here!_

"Now," Tsuki stepped over to Deity, "tell me what you know, and you're home free, boy."

"...First," Deity stood his ground, "how about you tell me what happened during the Void Century."

"What?"

"Tell me why the World Government is hiding it!"

"I don't-"

"You accused an innocent girl of wrongful crimes, just because you were afraid!" Deity felt his anger rise. "Yes, the Straw Hats were here, but they're gone!"

"Oh, are they?"

"...What?"

Tsuki grabbed Deity's arm. "I have three fleets waiting to attack, and on my word they'll shoot down the Straw Hat Pirate's ship, and sink them into the see! We'll see how strong Monkey D. Luffy is underwater!"

_No...this is all my fault! If I had just let them leave, this wouldn't be happening!..._

"...That isn't going to happen."

"Oh?"

Deity was quick in his movements. He latched onto Tsuki and, in one swift heave, threw him over his shoulder. Before Tsuki could comprehend what was happening, Deity was already racing through the halls.

"I have to to get to the docks," he said aloud,

"I have to keep our promise!"

* * *

"_Coming, coming!" Deity called out at the sound of the second doorbell ring. "Gee, mom and dad sure are impatient today."_

"_Deity!"_

"_Huh?" Deity turned around, only to find Luffy's head zipping towards him. "L-Luffy?!"_

_His neck stretched far out, Luffy wrapped it around Deity before holding his head up in front of him. "Deity!"_

"_Luffy, what are you doing?!"_

"_I wanted to know if it was Marines at the door!"_

"_I doubt it, Luffy."_

"_Even so," Luffy glanced behind him, "I want you to promise me something."_

"_What is it?"_

"_Once, and only once you realize that you're safe," Luffy eyed the large copper bell at the end of the docks, "I want you to ring that bell, the cool one at the end of the dock, got it?"_

"_Luffy, you don't have to worry-"_

"_Course I do," Luffy stated it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "you're our friend. We won't leave until we know you're safe. Got it?"_

"_...Got it. I promise."_

"_Good. And ring it hard! We're going to be so far away, we won't be able to see you!"_

"_Understood."_

"_Great!" Luffy unravelled his neck, causing Deity to spin around until dizzy._

"_See ya, Deity!" Luffy's head zipped back towards the ship._

"_Y-yeah," Deity steadied himself, "S-see ya!"_

* * *

Deity nearly busted the back door open, and ran towards the bell.

_I know what I have to do now – I need to fix this._

Once at the bell, Deity picked up the thick wooden hammer beside it. He held it in his hands for a few seconds.

_...This is it. It's now or never._

Steadily he raised it over his shoulder.

"STOP!"

He froze, the hammer resting on his shoulder. He looked back too see Tsuki a few feet behind him, holding a loaded pistol, aimed directly at his chest.

"Put...the hammer...down."

"..."

"Listen to me, Deity," Tsuki bargained, "let us catch the Straw Hats, and your family will become richer than you could ever dream of being! We'll keep your kingdom safe, and you – you will be a hero!"

"...Heroes don't betray their friends."

Tsuki growled, glaring at him. "Put the hammer down, or I'll shoot you full of lead!"

"...You're afraid of them, and you should be," Deity said, "because you know they're going to change the world."

"...You," Tsuki spit out, "what do you think you're doing?"

"Me?" Deity raised the hammer.

"Don't you dare!"

"I'm making my choice."

_DO**BANG**NG!_

* * *

"Hm?" Luffy looked up at the sound of a low, distant bell ringing. He ran to the end of the Thousand Sunny and looked out at Jupiter Island, which was now as small as a pea.

"...So, he rang it."

"Guess that means he's safe," Robin concluded.

"...Yeah."

"Come on, Luffy," Sanji sighed, "let's get going."

"Right!" Luffy grinned ear to ear and, standing atop the railing, waved dramatically back at the island.

"FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS, DEITY!"

**END**


End file.
